McCook Central Middle School - 03

As a low-enrollment middle school in Salem, South Dakota, McCook Central Middle School - 03 educates 84 students from grades 6 through 8, part of McCook Central School District 43-7. By comparison, South Dakota's public schools average about 187 students each, so McCook Central Middle School - 03 sits 55% smaller than that benchmark.

McCook Central School District 43-7 comprises 4 schools with combined enrollment of 455 students; McCook Central Middle School - 03 is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, McCook Central Middle School - 03 reports that nearly all students (90%) are White. Other groups include 5% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at school resources, On paper, McCook Central Middle School - 03 has 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.3:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 26% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, McCook Central Middle School - 03 falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 52.3%; this one comes in at 32.1%, -20.2 points off the demographic line.

In the area at large, census data for McCook County shows the typical household earns roughly $83,852 per year, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. McCook Central Middle School - 03 is one of 12 public schools in McCook County (combined enrollment of about 1,172 students).

Nearest neighbor: McCook Central High School - 01, around 0.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around McCook Central Middle School - 03. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts McCook Central Middle School - 03 at 6th of 6; the average score across the group is 52.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at McCook Central Middle School - 03 has edged down 8%, going from 91 students in 2018 to 84 in 2025. The White share of enrollment edged down from 98% to 90% over that span.

On allk12, the feed for McCook Central Middle School - 03 typically covers pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.